My mind was troubled with deep melancholy.

The cause why I have brought this army hither

Is to remove proud Somerset from the King,

Seditious to his grace and to the state.

BUCKINGHAM

That is too much presumption on thy part;

But if thy arms be to no other end,

The King hath yielded unto thy demand:

The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower.

YORK

Upon thine honour, is he prisoner?

BUCKINGHAM

Upon mine honour, he is prisoner.

YORK

Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.

Soldiers, I thank you all; disperse yourselves;

Meet me tomorrow in Saint George’s field.

You shall have pay and everything you wish.

Exeunt soldiers

(To Buckingham) And let my sovereign, virtuous

Henry,

Command my eldest son—nay, all my sons—

As pledges of my fealty and love.

I’ll send them all as willing as I live.

Lands, goods, horse, armour, anything I have

Is his to use, so Somerset may die.

BUCKINGHAM

York, I commend this kind submission.

We twain will go into his highness’ tent.

Enter King Henry and attendants

KING HENRY

Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us,

That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

YORK

In all submission and humility

York doth present himself unto your highness.

KING HENRY

Then what intends these forces thou dost bring?

YORK

To heave the traitor Somerset from hence,

And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade,

Who since I heard to be discomfited.

Enter Iden with Cade’s head

IDEN

If one so rude and of so mean condition

May pass into the presence of a king,

⌈Kneeling⌉ Lo, I present your grace a traitor’s head,

The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew.

KING HENRY

The head of Cade? Great God, how just art thou!

O let me view his visage, being dead,

That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.

Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him?

IDEN ⌈rising⌉

Iwis, an’t like your majesty.

KING HENRY

How art thou called? And what is thy degree?

IDEN

Alexander Iden, that’s my name;

A poor esquire of Kent that loves his king.

BUCKINGHAM (to King Henry)

So please it you, my lord, ’twere not amiss

He were created knight for his good service.

KING HENRY

Iden, kneel down.

Iden kneels and King Henry knights him

Rise up a knight.

Iden rises

We give thee for reward a thousand marks,

And will that thou henceforth attend on us.

IDEN

May Iden live to merit such a bounty,

And never live but true unto his liege.

⌈Exit⌉

Enter Queen Margaret and the Duke of Somerset

KING HENRY

See, Buckingham, Somerset comes wi’th’ Queen.

Go bid her hide him quickly from the Duke.

QUEEN MARGARET

For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,

But boldly stand and front him to his face.

YORK

How now? Is Somerset at liberty?

Then, York, unloose thy long imprisoned thoughts,

And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart.

Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?

False King, why hast thou broken faith with me,

Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?

‘King’ did I call thee? No, thou art not king;

Not fit to govern and rule multitudes,

Which dar’st not—no, nor canst not—rule a traitor.

That head of thine doth not become a crown;

Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer’s staff,

And not to grace an aweful princely sceptre.

That gold must round engird these brows of mine,

Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles’ spear,

Is able with the change to kill and cure.

Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up,

And with the same to act controlling laws.

Give place! By heaven, thou shalt rule no more

O’er him whom heaven created for thy ruler.

SOMERSET

O monstrous traitor! I arrest thee, York,

Of capital treason ’gainst the King and crown.

Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace.

YORK (to an attendant)

Sirrah, call in my sons to be my bail. Exit attendant

I know, ere they will have me go to ward,

They’ll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement.

QUEEN MARGARET ⌈to Buckingham⌉

Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain,

To say if that the bastard boys of York

Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

Exit ⌈Buckingham⌉

YORK

O blood-bespotted Neapolitan,

Outcast of Naples, England’s bloody scourge!

The sons of York, thy betters in their birth,

Shall be their father’s bail, and bane to those

That for my surety will refuse the boys.

Enter ⌈at one door⌉ York’s sons Edward and crookback Richard ⌈with a drummer and soldiers⌉

See where they come. I’ll warrant they’ll make it good.

Enter ⌈at the other door⌉ Clifford ⌈and his son, with a drummer and soldiers⌉

QUEEN MARGARET

And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

CLIFFORD (kneeling before King Henry)

Health and all happiness to my lord the King.

He rises

YORK

I thank thee, Clifford. Say, what news with thee?

Nay, do not fright us with an angry look—

We are thy sovereign, Clifford; kneel again.

For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

CLIFFORD

This is my king, York; I do not mistake.

But thou mistakes me much to think I do.